When You Still Love Medicine, But It Feels Heavy
Most Physician Associates don’t fall out of love with medicine overnight. They don’t suddenly wake up one day and decide they’re done.
Instead, the change is quiet.
They wake up tired.
Numb.
Disconnected.
Still caring. Still capable. Still committed.
But something feels different.
If that’s you, you’re not alone.
In Episode 359 of The PA Is In, I speak directly to clinicians who still love medicine—but feel weighed down by how it’s practiced today. This post expands on those ideas and gives you a practical framework for beginning to redesign your career with intention.
Why Passion Fades in Healthcare
1. The Accumulation of Invisible Work
One of the most draining parts of clinical medicine is the work no one sees:
- Charting after dinner
- Carrying emotional weight home
- Constant second-guessing
- Being “the reliable one” without recognition
- Doing right by patients without support
Over time, this erodes energy and enthusiasm.
Not because you’re weak.
Because chronic overwork without adequate support is unsustainable.
2. Values Drift Over Time
What mattered early in your career often changes.
New grads are fueled by:
- Achievement
- Proving themselves
- Saying yes
- Building credibility
Ten or twenty years of practicing medicine later, you may value:
- Time
- Autonomy
- Presence with family
- Energy
- Flexibility
- Sustainability
Medicine doesn’t automatically evolve with you.
Without intentional change, this mismatch creates internal conflict—and many clinicians blame themselves for it.
Why “Fixing Burnout” Rarely Works
We’re often told burnout can be solved with:
- More vacations
- Better self-care
- Gratitude practices
- Meditation
- Exercise
These tools matter. They support resilience.
But they don’t solve misalignment.
You cannot self-care your way out of:
- Chronic overload
- Moral distress
- Lack of control
- Unsustainable schedules
This is why time off sometimes makes things worse. Rest clarifies what hurts.
Burnout is not something to “fix.”
It’s information.
It’s your body and mind saying:
“This isn’t sustainable as it’s currently structured.”
How to Reignite Passion Without Blowing Up Your Life
Reigniting your passion does not require quitting tomorrow.
It usually happens through intentional redesign.
Here’s a four-step framework to begin.
Step 1: Revisit and Update Your “Why”
Your original reason for becoming a PA may no longer fit your current season.
Ask yourself:
- Why did I choose this profession?
- What parts still matter?
- What no longer fits?
- What do I want more of now?
Your “why” is allowed to evolve.
Sometimes passion returns when you give yourself permission to change.
(Recommended reading: Find Your Why by Simon Sinek.)
Step 2: Do an Honest Energy Audit
Track your week and ask:
- What drains me most?
- What feels neutral but necessary?
- What gives me energy?
Passion often returns when drains are reduced.
Consider:
- What can be delegated?
- Consolidated?
- Changed?
- Approached differently?
Reducing chronic drains is often more powerful than adding “motivators.”
Step 3: Redesign How You Practice
Many clinicians think the solution is a new job.
Sometimes it is.
But often, the bigger lever is how you practice:
- Fewer days
- Longer visits
- Different patient mix
- Teaching or mentoring
- Leadership roles
- Passion projects
- Side gigs
This is where portfolio careers come in.
A portfolio career spreads income, identity, and fulfillment across multiple roles instead of placing all pressure on one job.
You are allowed to want variety.
You are allowed to want autonomy.
Being a PA is what you do—not all of who you are.
Step 4: Stop Optimizing for “Looking Successful”
Many clinicians look successful on paper:
- Great salary
- Respected institution
- Prestigious specialty
- Coveted schedule
And yet, they’re miserable.
Your career does not need to impress others.
It needs to support your life.
Define your own “enough”:
- Enough money
- Enough hours
- Enough responsibility
- Enough achievement
Finish this sentence:
“I’ll know I have enough when…”
Clarity here changes everything.
A Gentle Challenge
You don’t need a five-year master plan.
Start here:
Take one piece of paper and answer:
“What would a good day at work feel like?”
Not look like. Feel like.
Then ask:
- One boundary I could set?
- One conversation I could have?
- One experiment I could try in 30 days?
Change requires honesty more than certainty.
You Are Not Broken
If medicine feels heavy right now:
You are not broken.
You are not failing.
You are not alone.
You’re responding normally to prolonged misalignment.
And that means change is possible.
Listen to Episode 359
🎧 When You Still Love Medicine, But It’s Breaking You
Reigniting Passion in Your PA Career
In this episode, I walk you through this entire framework and share practical examples from my own journey and my coaching clients.
If you’re ready to intentionally redesign your career, you don’t have to do it alone.You can love medicine.
And you can love your life.
